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op Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight contender, Rory MacDonald, got a round of high-fives and a couple of bro-hugs following his unanimous decision win over Jake Ellenberger last Saturday night in the co-meh event of UFC on FOX 8 from the KeyArena in Seattle, Washington.

After all, he fought a "great fight."

True, no one in "Emerald City" was awake to see it -- including UFC President Dana White -- but fellow Tristar teammate and UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre was glowing with praise, while also shutting down "The Juggernaut" for not being in a "Rush" to engage.

GSP gives it to The Canadian Press (via TSN):

"He shouldn't care about the critics. You don't brawl with a brawler. It was up to Ellenberger to open up and take more risk because he was losing and he didn't. Rory fought a great fight and even made it look relatively easy."

I'm not asking Rory to brawl or anything, but is it too much to ask for a two or three punch combination?

That was exactly what I was thinking during the fight. I totally understood him being cautious against a heavy hitter, though actually putting together a couple combos would have delivered more damage making for a better fight on his end.

sure MacDonald got the win and it can be argued that it was a smart game plan, but it makes me believe he'll continue down that course fighting guys at the top of the food chain.

I was thinking this too. I was biased by how Hendricks vs Condit played out, and figured that GSP vs Hendricks would be the same, with Georges controlling Johnny the same way that Johnny controlled Carlos. But re-remembering that Georges and Rory train in the same camp, I'm thinking that Georges will use the same (jab-centered) strategy he used against Koscheck.

I would appreciate it if anyone with serious boxing experience could offer a detailed breakdown of how Georges' jab-first approach will play out, specifically against a southpaw like Hendricks.

“I think I did exactly what I was supposed to do. I kept up my end,” said MacDonald. “He’s a counter-puncher and a very powerful puncher. I was waiting for my opportunities, and he wasn’t coming in at the right times. He was staying back, and he wasn’t engaging. I was playing my angles, and waiting for my opportunities like I always do. He’s a smart fighter. I’ve got to hand it to him.”

Ellenberger appeared to be searching for the perfect opportunity to uncork one of his signature power punches, but that window never opened. Instead, “The Juggernaut” stayed at range for the majority of the bout, eating straight lefts from his longer foe. Though Ellenberger managed to secure a takedown late in the third round, MacDonald neutralized him from the bottom before creating a scramble as the fight ended.

“I just react to what’s in front of me, and [with] the target I was looking at, the opening was [for] the jab,” said MacDonald. “I felt that I did the right thing. I think I might have needed a few more minutes, and I think I would have had a good chance to finish the fight once I had his back.”

MacDonald’s measured approach did not sit well with the fans in attendance, who began to boo the combatants only a few minutes into the bout. Even so, the Canadian -- who previously put forth dominant performances against B.J. Penn, Che Mills, Mike Pyle and Nate Diaz -- made no apologies for his strategy against Ellenberger.

“I didn’t pay too much attention [to the boos]. I was focused on the task at hand and waiting for the knockout to come,” said MacDonald. “I was being patient. I think I did the right thing. I wasn’t rushing in like a fool or an amateur fighter. Sometimes knockouts take a little bit of time, and you’ve got to let it happen. I wasn’t forcing anything, and unfortunately I ran out of time.”